Nineteen year old legion players

I merged this thread with the current one



With a couple years of legion baseball with nineteen year old players under our belt, I was wondering if anyone felt like it was a mistake to increase the age to nineteen. I'm sure the overall quality of teams has increased. The chance for quality young players to make the team has really decreased. You see a few here and there but not many. Just my opinion but i liked it better without all the teams loaded with college players. I have been following legion baseball for over 20 years fairly closely and have had only one family member involved 18 yrs ago so i'm just a fan. Like to hear some of your opinions.

 

I personally like it. I dont think there are very many kids ready to play 40 or 50 games in nearly as many days that are under 16 or 17.
Since american legion began you had younger kids always sitting on the bench for a year or 2. Now they have Jr. Legion to help develop some of the younger kids . By the time they are Juniors or Seniors in HS they will be ready to play and will have done more than ride the bench or pinch run or hit once a week or so...

The rule also helps late blossoming seniors to get looked at by college scouts.

 

Not all Legion Post's can afford to field a Junior legion team and the kids who can't participate on a travel (AAU/USSSA) are left out or are destined to play with rec teams. Most of the Junior Legion teams I've watched also have someone's "daddy" as a coach and we all know the problems there.

Secondly, many Posts cannot even field a team without the freshman and sophomore players on the roster.

Thirdly, I don't understand why (my opinion here) players who have just finished a season of college baseball would want to play against "high school" kids. Where's the lesson's to be learned by playing younger competition? Maybe the Legion should consider a College Division, and sponsor teams ages 18-21 (freshmen-seniors).

 

Legion dosn't need a college division, as there are summer wood bat leagues for college players. I agree with you Southpaw, college players need to be hitting college pitching, and college pitchers need to be throwing to college hitters.

 

I also agree that college-age players need to be playing against college-age competition. American Legion needs to go back to 18 & under...

 

College players in legion baseball is fair game, because most of the college freshman who come back need to be playing everyday, instead of in a wooden bat league sitting the bench. They bring leadership and character to a team. They help the younger guys along and make competition that much better. They help the game and gives them a chance to improve, plus most guys playing legion ball eventually play college.

 

Thats why JK Whited stepped down from the Hi Toms to play on the Greensboro legion team. He wasn't getting enough playing time with the Hi Toms.

 

You've raised a good point as far as playing where they'll get the most playing time. Can't argue with that at all. But if playing time is a consideration, wonder why so many seniors sign with D1 schools, knowing there's a very good chance they won't play for a couple of years, if they end up playing at all?

 

As the parent of a 17 year old first year legion player.........the competition forced my son take his game to a higher level. One of the college players on his team called him out a few times on his work habits and other things. He needed that. I cant really say about the effect on the college players though.

 

If the college players "pushing" or challenging the high school players is true, then why wouldn't older college players in the wood bat leagues, challenge the younger college player to elevate their game?

I've always thought that "playing up" was better for an athlete. Don't play down to the competition, unless you just want to be the "big fish in a little pond".